Who I am

I grew up on a dairy and corn/soybean farm near Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. I attended St. Mary’s Catholic School, and I was active in 4-H, athletics, and school. I spent summers at the Stark diamond playing softball and watching my dad and uncles play baseball. When my vocabulary gets colorful, I explain “I was raised in a barn and dugout.” My grandmothers, aunts, and especially my mom taught me a lot about gardening, cooking, baking, hosting large events, and the arts, crafts, child-rearing, and organizational skills that make a modest home feel cozy, safe, instructive, and warm. Even as a small child, I was curious, questioning, and loved to learn from alternative sources, especially Mother Nature. To this day, you can often find me in the woods hunting mushrooms or the prairie observing insects and animals.

I am a well-respected and successful author and editor, a longtime teacher of reading, writing, critical thinking, research, creative writing, publishing, and social and emotional skills. I currently work as a middle school special education teacher in Nicollet County. My values as a teacher include modeling anti-racist beliefs and actions, empathy, respect, boundaries, high expectations, structure, and consistency.

Some of you may already know my partner, Erik Koskinen (he’s a pretty big deal). He is the most talented song writer in America, and his band isn’t bad either. All the love songs are about me, obviously, and I have no idea who the other kind of songs are about. Seriously, he’s the most decent man I’ve every known, and I thank my lucky stars he waltzed into my life 10 years ago.

I started my family young and pursued my education and careers as I raised my children (still do!). Their dads and I instilled the values of understanding, knowledge, courage, and accountability. My children are my pride and joy, and I love and respect each of them for the unique, bright, creative, ethical, hard-working, just, loving people they are. I am so proud to share them with the world. How wonderful it is to witness as they reveal their gifts and contribute to the future of their relationships and families, this community, state, country, and this earth.